Photographs
by KayKoala
Summary: AU Monchele: A passionate summer fling for Broadway star Lea Michele and aspiring musician Cory Monteith changes the world for these teens. But as summer ends, both are forced separate ways, never expecting to run into their first love again.
1. Prologue

Cory Allan Monteith was not looking forward to this vacation.  
>There was nothing wrong with spending the entire summer in Cape Cod, Florida except for the fact that he was spending it with his mother and older brother.<br>Now he wasn't saying anything against his family-he had gotten much better over the years-but three months away was sure to be only two things: boring and stupid. He could buy tickets to Walt Disney World, ride Space Mountain eighty times, and still have complaints if he was doing it alone. It just wasn't the same.

On this particular day his mother was enjoying her getaway the exact same way she had been for the past week: sitting on the balcony of their suite, her nose buried in a magazine. To her that was a vacation. To her that was all she needed, getting away from the stress and busy of everyday life. His brother had occupied himself golfing since the start of the trip and Cory had gone with him twice but couldn't get into it. To much standing around. Not enough moving.

And so he was determined to have a better day as he made his way to the beach across from the hotel. It was busy enough that no one would realize he was alone. And there were always cute chicks in their little bikinis.

* * *

><p>Lea Michele Sarfati loved to travel. If the cast had an interview somewhere or she was asked to perform for an event, she would pack her clothes nights in advance just out of anticipation. She was always prepared and professional. Even at 17, that was who she was; and she was proud of that.<br>However she wasn't sure how long the thrill of this particular trip was going to last.  
>Her parents had complained that they hadn't gotten to spend enough time with her because of <em>Spring Awakening <em>and therefore had roped her intoa summer long excursion to Aunt Becky's house in Florida. At least she had a place to show off her bikini. But that was the only highlight so far.

This would've been so much better if they had let her bring Jonathan or one of her castmates along. In fact whenever he wasn't busy, she had him on the phoner. Talking about anything and everything and pretending he was enjoying the hot Florida sun at her side. They could make a fun situation out of the dullest scenerio. Together they always had a ball.

But so far this summer was looking very, very uneventful.


	2. Chapter 1

She was standing on the edge of the beach talking on her cellphone. Her wavy dark hair blew around her face as she squinted in concentration, battling the sunlight.

What had she been thinking when she bought that bikini? Whatever she was thinking, it worked. It looked good. Even on her funny little figure. He wasn't sure where her boobs were but that ass...

She was kinda cute.

Minus the nose. He could see that beak from where he stood.

Maybe that was because he was walking towards her.

The girl with no boobs and a big nose and a nice ass ended her phone call and tied her windy hair up into a bun. She looked totally bored. He could relate.

"Hey." Cory greeted, awkwardly looking down at her. Why did she have to be so short while he was so big? Made all conversation uncomfortable and probably creepy on her end. The girl gave him a strange look, furrowing her brow and looking him over with big brown eyes.

Those eyes... Forget the ass, what the hell were those things on her face? They sucked you in. It was like they were looking into your soul.

"I couldn't help but notice you were just standin' here." Cory pointed out, giving a child-like smile and swaying back and forth on his feet, proud of his observation.

"Yeah I was talking on the phone." The girl answered with a nod, folding her arms and looking out at the water. Was that it? No conversation starter?

"Cool...Well I just came over here because you were uh...by yourself so I wanted to invite you to play volleyball!"  
>Nice save Cory. He was a smooth talker. Definitely.<p>

"Oh!" The girl seemed to liven up, a giant smile taking over half of her face. "Yeah that sounds like fun! Those are your friends?" She asked, tucking a brown curl behind her hair and nodding over to a volleyball game.

Crap.

"Uh yeah! Yeah you wanna join?" Keeping his goofy grin plastered to his face, the tall boy made his way over to the group of strangers. "Hey!" He waved awkwardly, taking a position on one side of the court. "Why don't you go over there so the teams are fair."

The short girl smiled and nodded, giving a friendly wave to a few of the confused looking players. Before anyone could say anything, the ball flew over the net and Short-Stuff spiked it right back.

"Damn! Nice! You play?" A boy asked.

"I played last year on the team at my school. Just for fun." She beamed, clapping her hand and hopping in place as her side scored a point.

Well. At least no one was complaining.

* * *

><p>"Later!" Cory waved, shoving his hands into his pockets and parting with their new friends.<p>

"You didn't know any of them, did you?" The tiny girl smirked, shaking her head. "I could tell right when we invaded their game. Lucky for you, I know how to play. If we both had your ability they might've kicked us out!" She gave a loud and silly-sounding laugh and it made Cory smile despite her insult.

"Well thaaaanks..." He rolled his eyes, sarcastically "I'm Cory by the way."

"Lea Michele." She held out a tiny hand and shook his firmly. "Nice to meet you. Where are you from, Cory?"

"Nice to meet you too, Lea Michele." He chuckled. "Uh Canada actually! Yeah. My mom wanted to getaway for a while so we're here for the summer. Staying in that hotel right over there! What about you?"

Lea's eyes widened in surprise at his location as she shrugged her shoulders. "Very nice. I'm from New York. Born and raised! I'm in a show there so this school year was pretty intense. I was busy bee so to speak. My parents wanted me to take the summer off and spend some time with them. My aunt has a summer home about two blocks from here...here I am!"

"Cool. Wait, what do you mean 'show'? Like on TV?"

"Nooo!" She laughed, glancing upward. "A live show! A Broadway show! Crazy I know but I started when I was eight."

"Whoa. Eight? I don't know much about musicals but isn't that a big deal in New York or somethin'. That's awesome. You must be good."

"Yeah...Hey. Wanna go in the water? Come on!" Lea giggled, tugging at his arm and pulling him down to the beach. Cory blushed and tossed off his shirt, splashing behind her as they moved into the blue. He could see her head poking out of the ocean as she dog-paddled around. The water barely reached his chest.

"C-C-Cold! Watch out for the shaaaarks!" She warned, screeching with laughter. Cory laughed and dove under water, swimming under her body and giving her back a light poke. She automatically flailed, her legs kicking him square in the face. "Ahh..." He breathed, bobbing up to the surface.

"Oh my god...Oh my god, was that you?"Her hand flew over her heart in panic. "Don't ever do that again. Oh my god, did I kick you in the face?" There was that loud laugh again before her expression grew serious. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah! Totally. I'm fine!" He laughed, playfully shaking out his face. "No more sneak attacks I promise. You got some legs there!"

He swam around with her a little more, offering to pick her up and throw her (she seemed to like that) and before he knew it they were back on the beach, letting the sun dry their bodies as they laid on their beach towels.  
>She was tan and he liked the way the tiny beads of water settled on her skin.<p>

"I never asked. How old are you? You're in college aren't you." Lea grinned, turning her head to face his.

"Just turned 20 so you're kinda close! That age area...thing...I guess." He laughed.  
>Staying silent for a moment, Cory turned his face back to the sky. "Not in school. Haven't been since freshman year of high school."<p>

Out of the corner of his eye he could see her turn her head towards him. Why was he even telling her this? Totally a turn-off.

"Had some problems. Got into the wrong crowd and stuff, ya know? Bad times." He let her digest the information, turning to her face once again. "The last year and a half have been a total transformation for me. Cleaned up. Got my act together. Touring with my band right now." The lanky boy said proudly, a small half-smile inching onto his face. "We aren't really big or anything but we got some gigs. Never played in New York though."

"You're in a band? Wow...I think that says a lot that you were able to overcome all of that. You sound like you've got your life together. Do you sing? Or what do you play?"

"Back-up vocals, yeah! Probably not anything like you, Broadway girl!" Cory shrugged, messing up his damp hair. "Drums mostly. It's pretty fun."

Lea tapped her feet together, giving the boy a playful nudge. "Well you'll have to let me be the judge of that singing voice sometime. I'm full of tips and constructive criticisms!"

Cory laughed and nudged her back softly. "I bet you are, Broadway. Bet you are."


	3. Chapter 2

"Uh where are we going?" Cory laughed as he slapped his hand over his eyes to cover his vision.

"Don't worry, we're almost there!" Lea grinned, letting go of his hand to open her arms. "Tada!" Behold my personal favorite place in all of Cape Cod...the abandoned studio."

The tiny starlet watched her friend's reaction as he took in the vacant place. He looked a little sunburnt from their previous day at the beach, but it kind of suited him. She had the strange urge to offer aloe application services but decided that it was a little to soon. Maybe after they knew each other for at least a week...

"Cool...An empty room!" Cory cheered, pumping a fist in the air with laughter.

"No." Lea corrected, twirling around and finishing in a dramatic pose. "It used to be a dance studio! See the railings over here? For ballet! And the mirrors! I found it tucked away when I went walking the first day we came here. Sometimes I like to come here and practice scenes or do vocals runs. Especially if my parents aren't awake yet. I'm a morning person. That and my coffee start my day off right!"  
>Lea grinned, tilting her head. "I bet you could use those boxes as drums." She pointed, pulling over a chair and stacking up a few empty cardboard shapes. Here are some pens! Very high quality drumsticks. Brand name!" She laughed, handing the boy the utensils as he took a seat.<p>

"I'm not used to playing on such a fancy set!" He laughed, playing a quick beat and sticking out his tongue.

Lea giggled and slapped her thighs, puckering her lips into a duck-like expression as she bobbed along to the beat.

"Come'ere! You try now! You can do it too!" Cory laughed, patting his lap encouragingly.

Lea smiled shyly and shuffled over, perching gently on his knees. She placed her tiny hands on his, grinning as he played a slow rhythm.

"Wow you're a natural." The boy teased, causing Lea to break out in laughter. She squealed and shut her eyes as the drumsticks moved faster, Cory waving her hands in the air for her as they finished the song. "Aaaaaaand the crowd goes wild for Lea Michele!"

"Rock on!" She laughed, shaking her head and glancing over to meet his gaze. His eyes reminded her of almonds. Really pretty almonds.

"Okay so your turn." Cory interrupted, bringing her back from her thoughts.

"My turn? I just played!"

"No I mean, your turn to show me your Broadway thing. Sing somethin'."

The diva twisted her lips in thought. "Hmm...I'll be nice and do something contemporary. Nothing to lame like showtunes." She teased, crinkling her nose. Staying on his lap and closing her eyes, the girl inhaled a breath and started to sing. 

_...I know you're leavin' in the morning when you wake up_

_Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream_

_Ooooohoooohoooooh_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception _

_And I'm on my way to believin'..._

There was a screaming silence as she opened her eyes, her voice fading away. Cory's breathing made no sound but she could feel the soft warm air on the back of her neck.

"Whoa..." The voice behind her finally said. "For such a small person you have a-a huge voice. Almost knocked me off my chair there." He chuckled, clearing his throat.

"Thanks." The brunette mumbled, smiling over her shoulder in gratitude.

In one sweet moment she could feel his lips pressing gently against hers, his big hands gripping her waist to keep her balance.

"I..." Cory started as they separated.

"I liked that." Lea nodded, smiling and sucking in her lips to taste him. Tasted like peanut butter.

"Me too. Like a lot. I'm smiling."

"Like crazy." Lea informed, her lips twisting into her own pretty grin. She jumped a little as Cory pulled a camera out of his pocket, snapping a picture.

"What was thaaat?"

"Savin' the memory." He laughed, shoving the camera back into his pocket and patting her waist. "Come on, I'll help you with the drums more."

Lea was a very experienced kisser. In 7th grade she'd kissed a boy in the backyard (twice in a row) and at the ripe age of 14, she kissed her super hot co-star on a Broadway stage. And of course she'd had her fair share of spin-the-bottle games and a number of very cute boyfriends.  
>But she could safely say that none of those kisses were anything compared to this.<br>They weren't as gentle.  
>There was no surprise photography.<br>And they definitely didn't taste like peanut butter.


	4. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Thanks so much for the positive feedback on here and Twitter guys! Definitely some interesting things coming up soon! :)**

* * *

><p>They were going on three weeks and practically inseparable.<p>

Every morning he'd inhale his bacon and eggs (with a muffin on the side!), throw on clothes that looked half decent, attempt to smooth out his hair, and hurry his butt to their studio. And every morning there she would be, sitting on the front steps, waiting for him with a 10,000 watt grin and a kiss.

"Hey Broadway." Cory smiled, saluting a hand and taking her own. "What's the plan for today?" She was better at coming up with stuff to do. She made 'agendas' she called them. And they totally kept them busy. Even if it was shopping for high heels or something.

"How does shopping sound? Don't worry, I'll lay low on the shoe stores. But I saw thinking if we both go town we can pick out something to wear tonight!"

"Cool! Okay yeah. Wait...what's tonight?"

Lea stopped their walking and turned to face Cory with a grin that scared him and turned him on simultaneously. "You know that club over on the corner? You're tall. You look old enough to get in."

Cory's lips twisted into a smirk and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah but you're tiny. No offense but they might like think you're my younger sister. Besides we don't have ID's."

"I highly doubt they'll think that. This is a touristy area, Cory. Kids our age go out all the time. I've got everything under control. Trust me. All we need is to look fabulous and have a fantastic time!"

The way she said that and her amount of bubbly enthusiasm washed away all of Cory's worries about this club thing.

This was totally gonna be awesome.

* * *

><p>"Aw, look at this little tea shop! Love it!" Lea piped, pausing to smile at the quaint cafe with awe.<p>

"I thought you liked coffee..." Cory laughed, pulling out his camera.

"Oh I do. I do very much, it's a sick addiction."

"Like heels."

She laughed at that.

"Yes, like high heels. Uh oh...It's Cory and his camera again. Everyone take cover!"

"Heeeey!" The gentle giant licked his lips and waved a floppy arm. "Stand in front of the tea place! Come on, it's cute!"

The short brunette did as she was told and brushed her wavy hair to one side of a shoulder, leaning against the window of the tiny shop. Her white sundress looked kinda flowy in the wind and she gave this kinda professional smile. Like she was at a photoshoot or something. Then again for her Broadway thing, made she did photoshoots. He made a mental note to Google her when he got back to his hotel room.

"Very nice!" He praised, showing her the final product and stuffing his camera back into his pocket. The two walked into a nearby boutique that specialized in sunglasses and Cory automatically tried on the giant pair of rainbow-patterned ones. "Should I wear these to the club tonight?" He grinned goofily.

"No." Lea stated, biting back a laugh.

"Am I embarrassing you?"

"Yes. I don't know you." The brunette shuffled away with a hearty laugh. "Why do you always take pictures of me? Are you obsessed with me, Cory Monteith?"

"Yes. Hah! Actually I dunno! I like taking pictures. Your a good subject. Plus I like to keep the memories."

A smile grew on the starlet's face as she reached up and removed the silly sunglasses from his face, replacing them with aviators. "There. Hot. You look very good, Cory."

The boy burst into a grin at the compliment and examined himself in the mirror as the girl kept chattering away. "I like the idea of keeping memories. You know what you should do? You should make a scrapbook."

"Scrapbook?" Cory asked, taking off the glasses. "I don't know how to scrapbook. That's a little to girly. How about I send you the pictures and you make the scrapbook."

"Deal!" Lea laughed. "And buy these ones. You look handsome."

* * *

><p>Lea smoothed her short black dress and let her hands hug her hips. She was looking good tonight in her opinion and she could already feel the adrenaline pumping. Sneaking into a club with the guy she was becoming increasingly crazy about? That would be a story to tell the cast when she got back.<p>

If it were her _Spring_ friends having a party, she would have no concern for drunken behavior. But this was Cory and she wanted him to see her as the mature young adult she was. She wanted to impress him. Show him she cared.

"Hey! You look awesome." He greeted, walking up the front porch of her aunt's summer home and taking her hand in his.

"Not to shabby yourself!" She stated in a high-pitched squeak, walking towards the busy street of their destination.

The club was to easy to enter. Cory just waved his drivers license at the man by the door and BAM! Easy access. The dance floor was the first place she took him, pulling his arm with excitement and urging him to 'show her his moves'.

"You don't want to see my moves, believe me." He chuckled, nervously. "I'll step on your toes. Which are weirdly long by the way."

"My...Hey! My feet are completely normal!"

"Nah, they're cute. They're just like super big in proportion to your size!" Cory paused and nodded his head. "I'm gonna stop talking now."

He did the robot and tried to copy the dance moves of the guy next to them but ended up stepping all over her feet just like he had feared. They resorted to grinding and she was going to town. "Y-Your hair smells like peaches." He mumbled, scrunching his back down to be closer to her level.

They headed over to the bar next and he got some water while she got one of those fancy little martinis with an umbrella in the glass. She went on and on about how she liked that umbrella. It was kind of adorable.

"Are you having fun?" Cory asked her.

Lea nodded and sipped her drink as she crossed her legs. "Mhm. It's great." She smiled widely, her dark eyes falling on his drink. Here she was expecting this big party animal. He had told her stories and this was not the party-Cory she had been warned about. "Are you going to have any drinks?"

"Nah." The tall boy shrugged. "I'm stickin' with water tonight."

He looked nervous and almost out of place. Dancing had been fine but now that they were sitting, this looked like the last place he wanted to be.

"We're at a club..." Lea said gently, touching his hand. "What's up? Something is bothering you, I can tell."

Cory looked at her in surprise, like he actually assumed he was at all good at hiding his emotions. She could read him like a book. And she couldn't put the book down.

"I dunno I guess I don't want to be an idiot like I used to be when I did this stuff. Don't wanna embarrass myself. Tryin' to keep the change you know?"

As Lea watched him, her brow furrowed and her posture stiffened. How could she have been so stupid? Here he was, opening himself up about his past and she had suggested going to a place that was clearly something he was trying get rid of. "Cory, I'm sorry. This was crazy of me, I didn't even think-"

"No! No, don't worry! I wanted to come here with you, really. We can still have fun if I don't drink. I mean maybe I'll have one beer later, I don't know."

The Italian girl nodded and hopped off of her stool, taking his hand gently in hers. "Wanna get out of here? We can go to the beach instead. Spend the night somewhere else."

She watched a grateful and quirky smile inch onto his face and had no regrets about her decision. Clubs were definitely overrated anyways.

* * *

><p>The two walked along the beach, Lea focused on the footprints that the pair were making along the sand. "Maybe you should start contributing to our agendas, that wasn't such a great idea." She laughed, wrapping her arms around one of his.<p>

"Huh? Oh. Nah, I'm not creative like you and stuff. I like your agendas! Hey." Cory stopped their slow pace, gently turning her to face him. "I wanted to ask you something. Will you be my girlfriend?" He licked his lips and shrugged. "I was thinkin' we always have phone calls and like we could even write letters or something, I hear girls like that. And I can look for gigs in New York I bet."

Her big brown eyes looked up at him with emotion and affection. "I'd love that." She whispered. "I would be honored. A-And people in the music business are almost always long distance! You can come to New York and come see my show! You'd like it."

There was that loud contagious laugh followed by the sudden taste of peanut butter...


	5. Chapter 4

"Cory, I'm just reminding you that we're leaving in less than a month."

The tall boy looked down at his mom and threw up his hands. "I know! I know, three weeks, you've been saying that!"

"Well I see you getting attached and I wanted to remi-"

"She's my girlfriend, of course I'm getting attached! Isn't that like the point of dating?"

"Look." Ann said, closing her eyes and rubbing her son's arm affectionately. "You're practically an adult and she is a sweet girl. I'm glad that you're with someone like her for a change but I know how you get and I don't want to see you hurt when we go back home. I'm not asking you to break-up, I'm just asking you to think things through with her."

"Fine. Yeah. I'll think things though." Cory mumbled, closing his eyes and shutting the door behind him.

Things between he and his mother had gotten better over the past few months but it was just one of those days. Did she really think that he didn't know that the summer would be coming to an end? Did she really think he could pretend that the past two months hadn't happened? That was 8 weeks of spending every waking hour with a girl he was pretty sure he was in love with. Was that crazy? Could you fall in love with someone that quickly? Maybe it wasn't love, he wasn't really sure. All he knew was that he had never felt anything remotely close to what he felt for Lea Michele Sarfati and he would do the long distance thing if he had to. He'd do anything to try and make it work.

* * *

><p>"Talk to me." She said within two minutes of their meeting.<p>

They had already spent the entire day together, swimming at the beach and saving tiny sea turtles (that was Lea's idea). Lea had called their day off early to attend a show with her family and Cory had gone home to an argument. So it was a few long hours later when the two met up in response to Cory's call and Lea knew from the sound of his voice that something wasn't right.

"I know she's trying to help but it's not helping, ya know? It's just making it worse. It's like she doesn't think we can do it." Cory explained, kicking some sand around at his feet.

The tiny teenager moved her gaze to the ground, keeping her arm linked in her boyfriend's. "Do you think we can do it?" She asked softly, looking up to watch his face.

"Yeah. I think if we want it bad enough and keep in touch and stuff. Yeah. I think we can."

Lea halted their walk and wrapped her arms around her own body. "A long distance relationship is a lot of work. I know what I want and when I want something I'm driven. I work hard until I have it. But not everyone is like that."

"You don't think I want this as much as you do?" Cory frowned. "Lea, of course I do. I'm like half in love with you! Full in love with you! Whatever! I don't know." He blushed, waving his arms and rubbing his forehead. Expressing feelings in words sucked. "I know it's only been like two months but I want to keep getting to know you. I don't know about all that love at first sight crap but I guess this is something like that. I have a connection to you or something. I don't wanna let that go."

The little Sarfati's lips parted at his words as she tangled her fingers in his. "I wanted to tell you that I'm nuts about you. More than nuts." She locked her eyes with the almond shaped ones above her. "I love you too."  
>A tiny hand removed itself from it's bigger companion and crept up the tall boy's chest. "I...I want to do it."<p>

Cory's mouth dropped, his eyes widening. Was it possible to break into a sweat so suddenly? "Uh...Wait, what? Lea, you don't have to do that right now."

"No, I know." The brunette smiled, clasping her hands together and nodding her head. "I-I want to."

"Are you sure? I mean...you've never...have you."

Her eyelashes fluttered downward and she suddenly looked more nervous than he'd ever seen her.

"This is a big thing, maybe we should wait." Cory muttered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his denim jeans.

"Cory. I'm sure." She stated, letting her chocolate eyes meet his. "I'm choosing to give you something special. Something that means a lot."

Lea watched his eyes meet hers as something unspoken passed between them. She could see him swallow as he digested her words.

"Meet me at the studio in a half an hour. I gotta make this special for you too."  
>He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and smiled at her reassuringly before hurrying in the opposite direction.<p>

* * *

><p>"Cory?" Lea called, poking her head into the dark and echoing vacancy.<p>

"Right here!" The boy called, lighting a few candles and giving a small wave. Through the candlelight she could see that he had set out blankets and pillows, all flickering with the illumination. "Hey."

"Hey." She took a seat, folding her legs under her and giving him a loving smile.

"Are you sure you wanna do this? No pressure. I kinda know that it means nothing if you're not ready."

For once in the time that Cory Monteith had known Lea Michele her response wasn't verbal.

She leaned into him with a sweet and gentle kiss, that moved deeper into passion as she slide her tongue between his lips. They took their time slowly removing each others clothes and exploring the other's body; every inch of skin, every kissable place.

"You're beautiful." Cory admitted, pulling back in awe. Lea grinned at the compliment and blew her hair out of her eyes. He helped her brush it aside and looked at her for affirmation. A small nod and kiss to his lips told him she was ready and he muttered a genuine 'I love you' and entered in response.  
>The brunette gasped quietly, letting out a small but audible whimper of pain, gripping his arms as he tensed. "Are you okay?"<p>

Slowly she began to move her hips, the pain subsiding and turning to pleasure. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine." She breathed, beginning a rhythm. Lea was a loud talker and singer and her moans and groans and 'Cory!'s were no different. He was so big and she was so small but somehow he managed to hold himself up as their bodies moved in perfect time.

They finished together and as they did she was breathing heavily into his shoulder, her dark hair sprawled out beneath her. He was sweating as he moved himself away from her, lying beside and watching with big eyes. The experience couldn't have even been comparable to his past hookups with bimbo blondes. He definitely didn't feel like this afterwards. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore...Extraordinarily happy and head over heels." Lea beamed brightly as he smiled and scooped her up, bringing her body closer to his.  
>She peeked her eyes over his shoulder as his other hand reached for something. "What are you doing?"<p>

He pulled back his camera, licking his lips and leaning back to snap a picture of her face.

"Aaahh! No flash photography now! That was way to close, it's not going to come out."

"I got your eyes!" He laughed, starring at the picture on the device for a moment. "It's a keeper."


	6. Chapter 5

"You have pasta at your barbecues?" Cory asked, raising a brow with excitement as he followed Lea to the table crowded with food.

"We have pasta at everything. Italian." The girl laughed, plopping a clump of noodles onto her plastic plate. "My dad is making burgers so you're welcome to grab one over there. I'm thinking of going veg so I'm going to skip out..."

"Hamburgers over here, son!" Marc Sarfati smiled, waving an encouraging hand towards the tall boy.

Lea grinned and accompanied Cory over to the shorter man. "Cory, this is my dad."

"Heard lots about you. Nice to meet you properly after this whole time." Marc extended a hand and shook Cory's before waving his wife over. "Honey, come meet our guest!"

"Come'ere momma!" Lea beamed, her hands nearly shaking with enthusiasm. "This is my mom. Mom, Cory."

"It's so nice to meet you, Cory. Lea only has good things to say. So glad you could join us for lunch today." Edith grinned, extending a hand as well.

"Thanks for inviting me! This food looks awesome! There's so much which is funny because you guys are all so tiny!..." Cory's quirky grin faded and he looked at Marc apologetically before hurrying away to follow his girlfriend.  
>"I like your family! They're cool." The lanky boy noted as the couple sat down in two foldable chairs.<p>

"They've been dying to meet you officially. They were a little skeptical about a serious relationship over the summer but I think it's grown on them. They see how happy I am. They know I'm mature."  
>The brunette walked her dainty fingers up Cory's arm with a dimpled-grin. "Yoooooou'll never get away from me!" She sang, concluding the tune with a cackle.<p>

"Somethin' about the tallest tree, I don't know the wooooooords!" Cory sang, laughing along with her. "You gotta stop showing me your musicals, it's sad that I know that much."

"Correction. You need to watch more of my musicals so you know the right lyrics."

"Hah! Yeah I'll probably end up watching them with you over the phone. Even being in different countries I can't escape your Barbra woman and all those guys!"

Lea's head tilted in displeasure and Cory held up his hands. "Hey! Hey I like that lady. She's really good."

"Hm...Anyways, you know what I was thinking?" The Broadway actress announced, setting her head against her boyfriend's shoulder. "In three days it will be our last night together as I'm sure you're painfully aware. So I was thinking we could dress up and go somewhere faaancy. Like a big date. Then...go back to the studio of course."

Cory grinned widely, nodding in agreement. "Yeah! That totally sounds perfect. I'll find a cool place and make reservations. I'll make sure to bring my camera."

* * *

><p>"Hey you..." His eyes widened as she stepped out of the summer home, her navy blue dress blowing lightly in the evening air. Usually she wore her hair down but tonight it was straightened and clipped neatly in a bun on the side of her head. Made her look older. Made her look beautiful.<p>

"Hi." She greeted with a shy smile, reaching out her tiny fingers to intertwine them with his. "You look nice. I've never seen you in a suit."

"Thanks! My mom said that too!" Cory grinned, letting her straighten his tie. "And you look amazing."

The walk to the upscale diner was short, and when they were finally seated at a table-for-two the prices on the menu definitely gave Cory a silent heart attack. But he had brought enough money along. And Lea was totally worth every penny; he wanted this date to be the most special for the both of them. It would be the last time they'd be seeing each other in person for a while.

As they ordered and received their food, Lea watched Cory closely. It was obvious that he was bothered that the summer was coming to an end and of course the feeling was mutual.  
>"I have something for you." She smiled, after watching the waiter take away their empty plates.<p>

"Oh? I have something for you!" The boy smiled, reaching into his pocket. "It's not much, but I wanted to leave you with something."

"Awe! Cory...You go first." Lea nodded, craning her neck to try and peek at the tiny token he held in his large hands. A shiny silver necklace sparkled from his fingers and she watched as they fumbled clumsily, trying to open the miniscule lock. "Cory...it's beautiful."

"It's not much but I wanted you to like wear it and think of me. I'm not creative. Your gift is probably way better. But I meant a lot when I bought it."

She helped him help her carefully lock the necklace around her skin and beamed as he took in the full effect. "I love it."

Cory blushed and finished paying for their meal.

"I want to give you yours outside. We'll have a little more privacy, it's to quiet in here." Said Lea, already half way out of her seat. Cory nodded and mumbled an agreement, following the girl past a few stores along the road. She stopped their stroll and turned to face him, digging something out of her bag.

It was a standard jar of peanut butter, unopened and untouched except for the colorful wrap of paper that covered the brand. Words were inscribed in cursive-a very Lea-font.

_Marry Me_.

"I-I know this is supposed to be the other way around..." Lea started, holding out the jar for him to take.

She scared him in that moment. The way her bright eyes looked up at him with such love and affection, nearly pleading for him to take the plastic container and sweep her into his arms. She was dramatic. A theater girl. A Broadway baby. She was 17 and he was 20 and their age difference had never mattered because Lea was mature. She had said it was because she worked with so many professionals.  
>But that didn't make her ready for this kind of relationship.<p>

"Lea..."

"It's August! My birthday is in a few days! That means we can do it any time this week. Nothing fancy. You can come to New York and be with me! I have connections, I can help you find a band! Maybe you could even bring your band with!"

She truly believed all of this. He could tell she had thought about it, the way her expression looked so proud of the plan devised. So hopeful.

"Lea, you're 17. We're to young for this right now. We-We don't even know if this is gonna work!"

Her smile faded and she watched him in silence, her brow furrowed and her expression full of hurt. Her eyes flickered down to her shoes.  
>"You said it would work. You said you loved me..."<p>

"I do love you! Lea, I do. But I can't accept this."

When she looked back up at him she had tears welling up in those hypnotizing eyes and her cheeks were shiny and wet.  
>"You're scared you're going to lose me. This isn't the way, Lea..." He said gently, reaching a hand out in comfort.<p>

The peanut butter jar was thrust at his chest and two tiny fists were pounding as every loud-Italian-Bronx-temper-gene surfaced.

"Was this just a summer fling for you? Huh? Is that what this was? You fucking idiot, I hate you! Hate you! Leave!"

"Lea..."

"LEAVE!"

Only he didn't have to leave because as soon as she stopped trying to beat him down she stepped back and let out a sob that nearly choked him. Cory was sure she was going to collapse, the way her knees nearly buckled but instead she threw the peanut butter at his head (he was lucky enough to block it) and stormed down the block.

By the time he collected himself and reached the summer house she was already inside.

He rang and rang and rang the doorbell and no one answered.

And when he left no one answered his phone calls.

And she had planned to give him her address when she sent her first letter.

He had a feeling that letter would never come.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: Don't worry, guys. There are 2 more chapters to come!<strong>


	7. Chapter 6

-7 Years Later-

Lea Michele gently clutched the sides of her shimmery silver dress to keep the hem from dragging on the ground until she hit the red carpet.

Moving to Los Angeles for a year had been one of the hardest yet one of the most rewarding times of her career: workshop offers, numerous television auditions, a voiceover spot in an animated feature. And now here she was, asked to sing at the American Music Awards.

They always liked to mix the hot top dogs with the newbies. Give everyone a chance to shine, so to speak. Of course it was the people like her who were the bathroom breaks and wine refills. The ones fast-forwarded if they were at home with DVR.

But she wasn't going to let that little thought rain on her parade.

Someday she would be winning an award.

This was her big chance to show America their Lea Michele.

She was ready to blow them away.

* * *

><p>"How does it feel to be here? Especially as someone who is from Canada."<p>

Cory Monteith squinted at the lights and shoved his hands into the pockets of his black pants.

He had done it. Bonnie Dune had been a measly little nobody band and here they were at the American Music Awards, ready to play.  
>Their luck had changed after they had moved to Los Angeles. They were picked up by a better record company, and while they weren't The Black Eyed Peas, they were something. People came to their shows. It wasn't like they were nominated or anything, but they got to perform on live television during the event and that was super cool. It would definitely help their publicity.<p>

"It feels great! It feels great." Cory smiled, nodding at the smiling lady. "You know, L.A. is where things really picked up for us so these awards mean a lot. I'm so excited to be here."  
>The interviewer wished them luck and was off to someone who he was sure was far more important.<p>

"Ass alert. Ass alert." Seth muttered, nudging Cory's arm and gesturing to the back of a woman who was currently in the middle of an interview herself. He was kinda right. Her sparking silver dress fitted her small body perfectly; Even though she had a small frame she did have an ass...

"Don't say that, we're on the red carpet." Cory chuckled, giving his bandmate an equally playful nudge.

The cameras and screaming and herds of celebrities made the American Music Award red carpet a terrifying place but Cory was a people-watcher. He liked to take in the spectacle. His eyes scanned the place, running from interviewer to interviewer to crazy fan flailing to super famous celebrity to Lea Michele to interveiwer to...

Wait.

She had her head turned away from him again but he was sure he had seen the woman's face.  
>The ass woman.<br>Shit.  
>It had to be her.<br>And now she was hugging someone.  
>Crap.<p>

He kept his eyes on her and in one short moment her friend was walking away and she was hamming it up for the cameras.  
>He could see her profile now; her beautiful nose and that grin that lit up the world.<p>

Definitely his Lea.

* * *

><p>Behind the shoulder. Turn the head. Smirk. Smile. Move to the next cam.<br>She had a system.  
>And it was genius.<br>Of course her and Jonathan had come up with said system exactly 15 minutes before they had gotten in the limo, but it was working for her so far! The cameras were eating it up.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around (praying deep down that the hand belonged to one Barbra Streisand). But she was faced with someone much different.  
>It was like her heart froze for one half of a second and her eyes locked on his for an embarrassingly long duration of time.<p>

"Cory." She mumbled. Or at least she intended to mumble. She wasn't sure if any sound had actually gotten out.

"Hi." He looked the same. The same but different. His hair was brushed neatly and he had some (very handsome) scruff gracing his slightly tanner skin. His face was fuller but it suited him fine and he looked more grown up. Less like a boy and more like a man.

"Hi." She looked the same. The same but different. Her hair was up in a neatly pinned bun, much different from the wavy curls she would leave loose during that summer. She was still tiny as ever but she had a few more curves. The baby fat in her face had disappeared but he could still make out where her dimples went along the sides of her pretty cheek bone. She looked grown up. Less like a girl and more like a woman.

Cory was the one to speak first. "What are you doing here? I mean I don't doubt that you're here, if you were anywhere you'd be here. I mean except maybe those Tony Award things..."

Snap out of it, Lea. Snap out of it. Be professional. "They asked me to perform actually! Do a Broadway number. They're trying to...cater to all genres I guess." The brunette explained, running her tongue over her lips out of habit. "Why are you here? Are you...Are you someone's date?"

The man laughed and waved a hand. "Nah. I came here alone. Well not alone. My band's here. We're performing too!"

"Wow! That's nuts! Small world."

The entire red carpet was screaming with noise but in that moment it couldn't have felt more silent.

Unspoken tension.

"That's great. That's crazy." Cory nodded, his head bobbing with a smile. "Well I'll see you inside or something. I'll see you on stage too." He chuckled, rubbing his forehead in hopes that she was oblivious to the buckets of sweat. "Maybe at an afterparty or something."

"Yes." Lea agreed, her smile a little to big for whatever she must have been feeling inside. "Of course. I'll see you, Cory. Good luck tonight."

"You too. Break a leg."


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I was originally going to make this the last chapter and have it be two different scenes but I decided to split it up into two shorter chapters. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Hmm..." Lea Michele tapped her finger to her chin, examining the vast selection of desserts behind the clear glass. So many choices. Which ones were organic?<br>She crunched down, narrowing her eyes to scan each fancy label and tapped the glass twice. "I'll have the soy-based chocolate strawberries please. I'll take two."  
>The man behind the counter handed her a plate and the woman behind her (she swore it was Justin Beiber's publicist) sighed in relief at her decision. Dessert choices took time for a girl! It wasn't her fault she was holding up the line!<p>

"Lea! Hey!"

The singer turned her head and smiled at the sight of a tall man making his way over to her with a goofy grin. "I just saw you here and wanted to say great job tonight. Was that a Barbra song?"

"Hi! That was a song from her film _Funny Girl_, yes. You were great too! Very good...drumming." Lea chuckled, tapping her fingers to her plate.

"Yeah? Thanks. Oh!" Cory's eyes fell on her food. "You wanna sit? I already ate like four things from there. I have a table!"

The brunette nodded and followed him to an empty spot, taking a seat and going at her strawberries.

"Whoa there." Cory laughed, watching her closely.

"Sorry, I've hardly had anything to eat all day. This.." Lea gestured to her glittering dress. "And this.." She waved at her hair, "Took my team hours. Hard to get something in your stomach when you have people's hands all over you."

"Really? Wow. I mean it paid off, you look great. I just put this on like 10 minutes before I left."

"Well I you didn't have to make-up and hair." The tiny actress grinned. "But you look great too. I like your...your facial hair."

Cory laughed and ran his fingers over his scruff. "Yeah, I probably should've shaved before today..."

She gave him a smile-one that was more comfortable and real than what she had given him on the red carpet-and he watched her down the rest of her fruit. In an attempt to avoid the awkward silence once more, Cory settled his focus on a nearby conversation between Katy Perry and one of his band members. Was he seriously trying to get her number? Like that would happen.

"I know this is irrelevant." Lea started, snapping his attention back to her. "But um...I-I need to apologize."

She looked completely uncomfortable with what she was saying and he was sure he knew what was coming. At least he hoped he knew. He hated the way they were so fake with each other, pretending to be okay with the others' presence, even in the short time they had reunited. He needed that summer to be brought up at some point before they left. What if he never ran into her again?

"What I did that day was stupid and naive and wrong. I shouldn't have asked you to make that decision, I was...confused. I thought that was a valid solution to end of the summer heartache but it just made everything ten times worse. You-You don't know how many times I debated sending a letter or calling you back but I didn't know if you had the same number and address." Her tongue ran over her lips and her eyes avoided his. "Actually I just used that as an excuse because I dreaded giving my apology but I've been wanting to for years. I'm sorry I'm talking so fast; I'm rambling! I know! I had this all planned out because I would fantasize about running into you again but I was never actually prepared if it happened! I just...I needed to say I'm sorry."

Cory clenched his jaw and forced a small smile. "It's okay, you don't have to apologize. That was years ago." He shrugged. "We were practically kids."

Lea nodded and picked threads off of her little designer handbag absentmindedly. "Yes. I just needed to say that. I couldn't see you again and not tell you. Let the evening get by without letting you know how horrible I felt for stomping away like I did."

"Throwing peanut butter..." Lea flickered her brown eyes up to his face, relieved to find a smile.

"Oh geez...I did do that, didn't I." She chuckled, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "Luckily I had terrible aim."

"Luckily you did."

The tension from years past seemed to lift but it felt like there was so much more to be said. That was only scratching the surface.

"Actually I should probably get going so...Find my date." Lea babbled, standing up from her chair.

"Y-Your date." Cory stated with a nod.  
>Shit.<br>She was married.

"Yeah I brought my best friend, Jonathan. I don't know if you remember him. I practically had to pry him out of his boyfriend's arms to get him to join me because it's their anniversary, but now he's somewhere having a ball."

Was his sigh of relief audible? If she was married-hell, if she was dating-wouldn't she have asked the guy to accompany her to something this big?  
>Cory tried to not smile to big. "Oh yeah, I remember him. I think you told me stories or...somethin'. Alright well it was great seeing you!"<p>

"That it was! Crazy coincidence." Her mouth opened for a moment, as if to say more, but she must've decided against it because she started to walk away.

"Wait! Lea."  
>He was standing now.<br>"I don't know how long you're here in L.A. or anything but...I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee. I remember you like that." Cory licked his lips, his hands fumbling nervously at his sides.  
>Please say yes.<br>Please say yes.

"Yes." Lea sucked in her lips and gave a timid smile. "I would like that."  
>Did this mean he wasn't taken? That he didn't have a significant other? The mental image of Cory with a wife and tiny baby in his arms flooded her thoughts and she was relieved by the seeming inaccuracy of the picture. After all, he had said he didn't have a date.<p>

"My numbers the same by the way. So just uh...if you still have it, call me tomorrow or something."

"Fantastic. I'll talk to you then."


	9. Chapter 8

Lea exhaled, a nervous breath vibrating out of her lips. Brushing her bangs into perfect place, she scanned the coffee shop for any sight of a tall, goofy Canadian. Her tiny hands wrapped around her steamy cup of vanilla bean soy-coffee, the comforting aroma putting her at relative ease.

In less than a moment, Cory Monteith was waving a long arm at her, carrying his own coffee over to her table.

"Wow, I didn't realize how busy it would be here, I would've gotten here earlier." The man apologized, setting a grocery bag on the ground next to his feet.

"It's no problem, I haven't been here long." The little actress assured him, keeping her hands wrapped firmly around her warm drink.

"Okay! Good. Good...So the AMA's were fun."

"They were! Getting all glammed up for the Red Carpet was a dream. I've never been so nervous in my life though! I was in the ladies room at the after party and Lady Gaga asked me to help her unzip her crazy dress!"

"What?" Cory laughed, grinning at the tiny woman's enthusiasm.

"It was the best, most honorable moment of my life. I called everyone I knew." She giggled, taking a small sip of her coffee. "Anyways, yes. I am officially in love with award shows. I've only ever been to the Tony's."

"Broadway stuff, right? That's for plays and stuff."

"Exactly." Lea nodded, giving a laugh. "Musicals, plays, theatre."  
>Her eyes averted his gaze. The way he was looking at her was so comfortable and familiar.<p>

"Oh I um...I brought something for you! Felt like I should give it to you because it's technically yours."

"What is it?" Lea raised an eyebrow, tilting her head curiously. She watched as he pulled a bulky book out of the bag at his feet, setting it down on the small table before them.

A scrapbook.

The smile on her face faded as she took in the cover. It was yellow with tiny pale pink bows and the center of the book read 'Lea Michele' in a pretty cursive; the words 'Photographed by Cory Monteith' were inscribed in a smaller font below.

Cory's knee was bouncing nervously under the table as he watched her with wide eyes. "Go ahead and open it." He urged softly.

Keeping her eyes on the delicate pages, Lea flipped through them in silence, one by one. Every page was filled with pictures of the summer landscape: a sunset on the beach, the bustling streets of tourist Florida, the mirrors of their studio. Each page belonged to a photo he had taken of her: Posing outside of the tea shop, grinning happily as with a giant mound of pasta on her plate, peeking out from under a candle-lit blanket...  
>The last page concluded with the picture they had taken on together on her front porch before embarking on their final date.<p>

Lea could feel her jaw clench. Cory must've noticed her discomfort because he closed the book and put it back into the bag. "I want you to have it. It kinda took me forever because I didn't really know how to scrapbook and it turns out you can't actually just use scraps or anything, they sell these like kits! So I used one of those."

There was that painful silence again and Cory watched as the woman across from him completely checked out. "Hello..." He blushed, waving a hand. "Lea...I-I should've have brought the book-"

"No." Lea said softly, bringing her eyes back to his. "No, it's beautiful. I love it. It was just a lot of...memories I don't know if I was ready for. Not in the middle of a coffee shop anyways."

The tall man nodded, taking a gulp of his cooled-down beverage.

"We were really in love, weren't we. It was real, wasn't it." Lea muttered. "I know it was for me."

Cory's face softened, giving a shrug. "It was for me too."

Her tiny hand crept onto the table and hesitantly reached for his. He clasped it gently and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"I tried to get over that summer with hookups and boyfriends but I guess nothing ever really worked out. Look at me now, I'm married to my work."

"Yeah I know what you mean...It sucks."

Lea furrowed her brow and tilted her head upward. He was hurting just as much as she was. "I'm not normally one to admit I was wrong but...I was wrong. I..."

"Stop apologizing." Cory muttered, a goofy half-smile forming on his face. "You talk way to much, you know that? I'm not mad at you. I'm like...still in love with you."

Lea's heart was beating faster than the final number of _Oklahoma._

And then there was the taste of peanut butter.


	10. Epilogue

-Epilogue: 5 Years Later-

"Save the horses, momma! Save the horses, daddy!" The energetic 3 year old bounced on the end of the bed, yelling with all her might. "Save! The! Horseeees!"

Cory grumbled and opened a sleepy eye at the tiny toddler. Her dark hair was still a mess from sleeping but he could tell from her big smile that she was wide awake.

"Shhh, Eliza. Mommy's still sleeping. She didn't sleep well last night."

The little girl frowned and plopped down in the tall man's lap, petting her tiny hands to the mass of identical brown curls on the pillow beside them. "Because of the baby kickin'?"

"Yeah. The baby kept her up." Cory explained, brushing his daughter's hair out of her face.

Eliza climbed out of his arms and nestled herself at Lea's side, the woman sleepily lifting her head in response. "Did I win a Tony..." She grumbled, coming to her senses and grinning at the little girl at her side. "Hi munchkin."

"Momma."

The Broadway star pecked her daughter on the nose and sat up. "Who wants some breakfast?"

"Ganic oatmeal!"

"Organic oatmeal it is, Miss Liza! Babe?"

"Daddy wants peanut butter, he always does." The three-year-old informed with a tilt of her head.

"That's right!" Cory laughed proudly, looking up to his wife. "Bring me some peanut butter and we'll see about some kisses." 


End file.
